Straight Talking From Andrew Leigh of Maynard Leigh Associates

Reading time: 4 minutes

Brain training games do not make you smarter. This terse verdict from the MRC published in Nature,[1] also implies awkward questions about the effectiveness or otherwise of other electronic learning methods.

In particular e-learning, beloved by those hoping to make large savings in their development costs must now be treated with much more caution.

In an era of rapid change, the sort of learning we need differs from the way many of us learned in the past.

Instead, we require the vital skills of unlearning and lateral thinking. If we are to be innovative thinkers who deal with current issues, we must become adept at quickly discarding or ignoring what we have already learned.

This means a shift from a focus on how much is stored in our brains, to acquiring skills in solving new problems in innovative ways. In theory, e-learning ought to be a powerful tool for doing this.

Estimated reading time: 3.4 minutes

Is there a secret to talent engagement? With a wealth of tips, blogs and reports on what makes an engaged work force, by now you might expect there to be a fairly clear route to creating engagement.

Most recently, Macleod of course spelled out the evidence on the benefits from engagement. The facts were so persuasive that you have to be in true denial to still wonder about its value.

But even if engagement works wonders, it still leaves the fundamental question of just what exactly will engage people so they go that extra mile?

A good starting point can be a staff survey. This can provide a picture of the extent to which people feel engaged, and by implication the sort of remedial action leaders might need to consider.

Gallup for example, was one of the first in the field with Q12 , a simple questionnaire that provides a framework for measuring engagement and by implication the sort of appropriate leadership action.

A fascinating argument about engagement has surfaced over the Toyota car recalls. One recent assertion is that all, or most of the cars recalled were made in the west, and those who produced them were less alert in spotting the problem due to their lower levels of engagement.

Whether such an assertion is true or not, the whole Toyota recall saga does raise a useful point about engagement not usually considered. This is less about specific production failures than an apparent inability to react quickly in the light of evidence about a problem.

Putting it more bluntly, were Toyota’s top management so over engaged with their company that they became over protective in the interests of defending their company from adverse publicity?

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Approximate reading time: 1.5 minutes

Each month Andrew Leigh poses a tough question to the UK's top HR practitioners. 

What difference, if any, do you think the recent MacLeod report on Engagement will make over the coming year?

As one of many HR individuals passionate about unlocking the potential of our talented employees, I am a keen supporter of employee engagement as a management priority.   

Approaximate reading time:1.8 minutes

“My biggest problem is selling in the whole idea of engagement.” This comment from an experienced L&D professional sums up the challenge many face in making sense of the now vast array of data on this much hyped topic.

Just what persuades and what merely raises interest amongst policy makers? And what are the essentials for gaining buy in for investing in or maintaining the development of engagement within companies?